Terms of Service

HitDuel is a peer-to-peer, skill-wagering platform for head-to-head Chess. Two players each lock an equal USDC stake in a non-custodial on-chain escrow contract before a match begins; the winner, determined entirely by the moves each player makes, receives the pot minus a disclosed matchmaking fee. HitDuel never holds custody of user funds outside of an active, mutually-agreed match, and never determines match outcomes itself — outcomes are decided by server-validated chess rules applied to the players' own moves.

Chess is a recognized game of pure skill: the outcome of a game between two players is determined by their comparative ability, not by random chance. HitDuel does not offer any wagering product whose outcome depends on chance, and does not operate as a casino, sportsbook, or lottery. See the Skill Wagering Rules for the full basis of this classification and the integrity measures that support it.

You must be of legal age in your jurisdiction and legally permitted to participate in skill-based wagering where you reside. HitDuel enforces jurisdictional restrictions via IP-based geofencing, currently blocking connections from Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, New York, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, and jurisdictions with a blanket cryptocurrency ban. This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change without notice as legal review of additional jurisdictions continues.

You are solely responsible for the security of your connected wallet and its private keys. HitDuel cannot recover funds lost due to a compromised wallet, and stakes are only ever moved by the HitDuelEscrow smart contract under the conditions described in the Skill Wagering Rules.

• Using chess engines, analysis software, or another person's assistance during a match.
• Colluding with an opponent to manipulate a match outcome.
• Operating multiple accounts to evade matchmaking, geofencing, or anti-cheat enforcement.
• Attempting to interfere with, degrade, or exploit the matchmaking, escrow, or anti-cheat systems.

Violations are enforced automatically and, where applicable, financially — see Section 3 of the Skill Wagering Rules for the stake-slashing consequence of engine use.

The service is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. HitDuel is not a licensed money transmitter, broker-dealer, or gambling operator, and nothing here constitutes financial, investment, or legal advice.

These terms may be updated as the product and its legal review evolve. Continued use of HitDuel after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.